The Japanese tourist visiting the Topkapı Palace may be struck by the presence of sixteenth century samurai armor and helmet, normally displayed there permanently. It was…

As of the early 19th century, , during the final period of the Ottoman Empire, sports –unlike all else in the country– spread from the…

I heaved a sigh of relief when the plane landed at the Venice Marco Polo Airport. Having thought I was never going to make…

Following Mahmud II’s (r.1809-1839) abolishment of the Janissary Corps in 1826 and the allocation of the Residence of the Agha of the Janissaries to…

This rare book is the third edition of Ayşe Fahriye’s Ev Kadını (Housewife), originally published in 1882. The book was transcribed in 2002 by Leman Erdemli and…

Alfons Maria Schneider, one of the polymaths of his time, illuminated the history of Istanbul with his research, digs and publications from the 1930s…

The Ottoman administration’s initiatives -based on Western models- to “modernize” the traditional organic urban fabric which had developed in the Empire’s capital over the centuries can be…

As a primary focal point of the current cultural and political life in Istanbul, Taksim Square was once a flat expanse surrounded by graveyards…

Created through the vision of the pedagogues of the period, this endeavor not only provided formal education to village students, but offered non-formal education to their…

Education During the Atatürk Era Dated 29 December 1923, the Ministry of Education sent a memorandum to directorates of education. It began with the…